Page 95 of Angelo

"Are they?"

"Makes me wonder,” mused Elyse, “is a hero still a hero if he cares more about his legacy than the greater good?"

Alessandro scoffed. “Fuck the greater good. Everyone is self-serving. Good and evil are only separated by circumstance. Even good men can be evil when fate forces their hands, and devils turn into angels once they find something worth fighting for.”

"I guess nothing is ever purely wrong or purely right."

Perhaps,she thought,it depended on the intent.Was Boris motivated by righteousness? Fear of the mafia? Or the ambition to advance his career?

Understanding everyone’s intentions was key to survival in their world.

"I’m worried that Boris might go after you at some point," Elyse remarked with a nervous gleam in her eyes. "Can we trust him?"

"Of course not, he would like nothing more than to put me behind bars," Alessandro replied breezily, "but your grandfather has dirt on the man. Boris cannot turn on us without risking his neck and reputation."

For once, Benedetto and his love of blackmail were working in their favor. Elyse then asked, "What will happen after Boris arrests our men?"

"I think," he theorized, "the Beltrán cartel will distance themselves from us, at least, until the investigations and court hearings die down. I will take advantage of the upheaval from these arrests to distance myself from them as well and expand into other industries."

"Do you think we'll experience pushback from allies?"

Her husband answered, "Not if Valentina plays her cards right."

Under the guise of friendship, Elyse had glued herself to the blonde’s side after the wedding. It allowed her to keep a close eye on Valentina. With a doubt, Valentina was the queen to Gaspare's peasant in their marriage. Gaspare seemed utterly terrified of his wife even while he panted after her like a dog in heat. There had been no honeymoon for the newlyweds, and the blonde claimed that she kicked Gaspare out of their bedroom on their wedding night.SignorandSignora De Leónhad been sleeping in separate rooms since then.

“As far as I can tell, Valentina knows exactly how to play her cards,” Elyse murmured. “The only question that remains is whether or not she’ll end upplaying us, too.”

Without hesitation, he assured her, “She will die before I let her fuck us over.”

Green eyes flickered with alarm, but she stayed silent, knowing that Alessandro was simply going to do what needed to be done. He always did. She prayed that he wouldn’t have to kill Valentina, though. The blonde still irritated Elyse from time to time, but not as much as she used to.

Dessert was served. Husband and wife moved on to discuss other matters that needed to be resolved. Each problem seemed to lead to a new one. It felt never-ending. As dinner came to a close, neither of them managed to finish their plates.

They’d lost their appetite for the evening.

Over the weekend, Elyse went to brunch at a local cafe with Valentina. Monte and Luca accompanied her. Mariposa tagged along as well. The three women greeted each other and swiftly fell into a steady flow of conversation while Monte and Luca stood guard beside them.

“How has my brother been treating you?” Mariposa asked Valentina.

“Like a fucking goddess,” Valentina preened. “But you will never guess what I did to him yesterday.”

With a cool expression, Elyse glanced over. “Did you try to kill him again?”

“Maybe.”

Mariposa prompted, “So… what did you do?”

"I walked around the house in anégligée," Valentina revealed with a nasty chuckle, "just to see him get hard.”

Mariposa pretended to vomit in her mouth.

Valentina ignored her, continuing, “Then I pulled out my gun when he tried to touch me. I think he pissed his pants a little."

Elyse bit back a smile. She didn’t want to laugh at Gaspare's expense, but she found herself enjoying the blonde's dark and twisted sense of humor more and more. Probably against her better judgment.

"Serves him right,” Mariposa commented with a smirk. The dark-eyed girl didn't seem to possess an ounce of sympathy for her brother's plight.

While the ladies were started on their meals, Mariposa kept stealing glancesat Monte. Then, out of nowhere, her face suddenly scrunched up as though she was in pain. She released a moan of discomfort.

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